Nick J. Rahall II

Mr. Speaker, throughout my tenure in the House of Representatives, I have been continually impressed by the legions of staffers who eagerly sign up to serve in the ranks of Congressional aides.

Having started my own career of public service as a staffer in the U.S. Senate, I know a little about laboring behind the scenes, answering the phones, responding to the mail, enduring the long hours of sometimes mundane, often utterly thankless tasks that keep this place running for the people we were elected to serve. These eager, bright minds come to this place looking to make a difference in the world. They sacrifice higher paying jobs in the private sector, and precious time with their family and friends, in order to work without applause for the betterment of our Nation.

These members of our staffs do their work anonymously and generally do their work exceedingly well, putting their heart and soul into fighting for the people we were elected to serve. Frankly, they put up with a lot and Members of Congress ought to do more to defend these loyal employees. When the slings and arrows of public anger are aimed at this institution, these staffers have demonstrated, time and again, a selfless willingness to stand silently as their jobs and benefits are slashed in some ill-conceived sacrificial exercise. They are not our political shields. It is the lot of a leader--a true leader--to take the hits.

Before retiring this year, I want to acknowledge and express my deep gratitude to the staff members who have been by my side throughout my career. And I take this moment to express my undying thanks to those who stayed with me until the very end--never wavering in their loyalty to me and the constituency we served together. These are outstanding and dedicated individuals who deserve the highest praise for their selfless sacrifice and service in behalf of the people of southern West Virginia.

David McMaster, my Chief of Staff

Kent Keyser, my longtime aide and trusted advisor

Kate Denman, my Deputy Chief of Staff

Diane Luensmann, my Communications Director

Carol Wallace, my Projects Director

Josh Sutherland, my Legislative Correspondent

Megan Price, my Staff Assistant

Andy Mollohan and Rachel Meyer, my Legislative Assistants,

Kelly Dyke, my District Director, and Greg Crist, Kim McMillion, and Larone Alexander, who worked in the Congressional Office in Beckley

Debrina Workman, Teri Booth, and Debbie Stevens--my longtime district aides who staffed the Congressional Offices in Logan, Huntington, and Bluefield

Jim Zoia, Ann Adler, Ward McCarragher, Ed Gilman, Lisa James, and Luke Strimer on my Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff.

Madam Speaker, in good times and bad, one constant remains here on Capitol Hill. The Congress of the United States continues to attract some of the brightest minds and most eager spirits our country's colleges and universities can produce. They are our staff.

I want to acknowledge and express my deep gratitude to my staff members, especially Kent Keyser, my former chief of staff and now senior policy adviser, and Jim Zoia, my chief counsel, both of whom have been by my side every step of the way. They are outstanding and dedicated individuals who deserve the highest praise for their selfless sacrifice and service in behalf of the people of southern West Virginia. Through the years, many too numerous to mention have served on my staff and then have moved on, putting the lessons they learned serving on my staff to work for our State and Nation.

In addition to Kent and Jim, those serving on my Washington staff include: David McMaster, chief of staff; Kate Denman, deputy chief of staff; Diane Luensmann, communications director; Andy Mollohan and Rachel Meyer, legislative assistants; Carol Wallace, projects director; Josh Sutherland, legislative correspondent; and Megan Price, staff assistant.

In my West Virginia offices: Kelly Dyke, my district director; and Debrina Workman, Debbie Stevens, Teri Booth, and Kim McMillion represent over a century of service and experience to their fellow West Virginians. They are joined by Greg Crist, my district representative, and Larone Alexander, who serves on my staff through the House Wounded Warrior Program.

Those working on my Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff are: Ann Adler, Ward McCarragher, Ed Gilman, Lisa James, and Luke Strimer.

Those who serve on my subcommittee staff include: Alex Burkett, Rachel Carr, Dave Jansen, Elliot Doomes, Janet Erickson, Alexa Old Crow, Helena Zyblikewycz, Jennifer Homendy, Ryan Seiger, and Chelsea Welch.

My own public service began as a staffer for the master of the United States Senate, Robert C. Byrd. I learned of the institutional ups and downs firsthand, starting work as an elevator operator for the Senators only, so I know a little about laboring behind the scenes: answering the phones, responding to the mail, enduring the long hours of sometimes mundane, often utterly thankless tasks that keep this place running for the very people we were elected to serve.

My entire career in this body has been served on two committees: first, it was called the Public Works and Transportation Committee, then it changed to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where I now serve as ranking member. I served also on the House Interior and Insular Affairs that later changed to the House Resources Committee, where I had the honor of chairing on the Subcommittee on Mines and Mining, and, most importantly, serving as chairman of that House Resources Committee.

I do appreciate, Mr. Speaker, that all of us in this body are all bridge builders. We have tried--and I certainly have tried--hard to build bridges between our coal miners in my great State of West Virginia and our coal operators, between our disadvantaged and our advantaged, between our need to provide jobs and protect jobs in our coal fields and our need to protect our land and the air we breathe, and from all our middle class to the Middle East and beyond, we all seek a world of peace.

I am proud of my record, my 38-year record in this body of protecting and providing black lung benefits, health care and pensions, and, most importantly, safety for our coal miners. I have steadfastly sought relief from excessive regulations on our coal industry. I have defended and protected that vital safety net for our unemployed, our sick, elderly, and others disadvantaged through no fault of their own. My direct help in building our infrastructure in southern West Virginia, where the transportation, technology, or tourism is well-documented for generations to come. I have created vital additional wilderness areas in our State, white water rafting opportunities, and the largest Federally protected areas east of the Mississippi, which is called the New River Gorge National Recreation Area.

Mr. Speaker, my grandfathers came to this great land as pack peddlers from Lebanon. They worked hard, as all West Virginians do. They lived the American Dream.

I have traveled the Middle East extensively during my close to four decades in this body, including with President Clinton in that historic December 1988 codel to the Middle East when he became the first U.S. President to step foot on Palestinian soil. I have met with kings, queens, emirs, presidents, prime ministers, militia chiefs, warlords, you name it, in this region, many times even when not in sync with our official U.S. policy. I have long advocated for Palestinian justice, human rights, dignity, and relief.

Madam Speaker, I do leave this body with a great sense of pride and a great sense of accomplishment in what we have been able to do together for the people of West Virginia.

I do appreciate my colleagues taking a moment to reflect with me on what truly has been a remarkable personal journey, a distinct honor, and a true privilege to serve the people. From elevator operator, mail carrier, assistant to the Democratic Whip Robert Byrd in the Democratic cloakroom in the other body through those Watergate years, all through my 38 years in this august body, it has been both exciting and frustrating, full of fast-paced days and long, drawn-out nights, such as we have just been through this evening. It has been full of sometimes tears, sometimes laughter, and, indeed, it has been an experience that I have truly appreciated and have loved every minute of it.

I want to say in conclusion that I thank, first and foremost, of course, God. I thank my family for their support. This very day, as I speak, is a 10th anniversary of my dear wife, Melinda, and I, and we celebrate this anniversary knowing that it has been a great ride in this institution. My late father stood behind me all the way. My 89- year-old mother, now living in my hometown of Beckley, and my brother Ed and my sisters Vickie and Tanya have always been there for me. My three children, Rebecca and her husband, Michael; Nick III and Laura; and Suzanne Nicole have always been behind my career. And all three of my grandchildren, Madison Kaylee, Nick Joe IV, and Ellianna, that is what it is all about, as we all know in this body, making this place a better place for our children and our grandchildren to live in.

My heartfelt thanks go out to the good people in West Virginia. I have been most proud to fight for our courageous coal miners, and I am very happy to see just this week that those war notices issued by the coal companies earlier this year will, fortunately, not be honored in most cases, and, fortunately, these coal miners will be able to keep holding their jobs.

I have been deeply proud to fight for our courageous coal miners. I have been deeply humble to serve and stand up for our American heroes, our veterans. West Virginia is a proud and patriotic State. I thank our working men and women, the backbone of our country, and our seniors who strengthen this Nation day after day with their continuing contributions. And may God bless our educators, our teachers who positively shape the future of our youth throughout eternity.

Madam Speaker, in concluding this chapter of my life, I offer my special heartfelt thanks to you, each of you in this body, my colleagues, for all the experiences, for representing the immense diversity of our country, and for a lifetime of lessons through the many trials and tribulations that you have shared and taught me. I truly have had the high honor of serving with dedicated public servants and their staffs who will ensure this country remains forever the best in the world.

Thank you and God bless this House of Representatives, and God bless our country.

Mr. Speaker, one of my distinct pleasures in serving for 38 years in this body has been to work with the dean of the House, Mr. John Dingell. Throughout our almost four decades of serving the people of our respective districts and those of our Nation, my respect and sincere appreciation for this son of Michigan has only grown each and every day.

Few, if any, who have served here in the people's House over the last nearly 60 years would have a different view of the worth and of the value of John Dingell's contributions to the day-to-day work of this distinguished body. In fact, Representative Dingell's vast legacy will assuredly be the legions of Members and staff who have learned so many lasting lessons of leadership under John's tutelage. Basic, fundamental, timeless lessons on how to get the people's business done were always at the ready for any Member to partake in and adopt for their own future use. All of us can remember times when Big John felt it appropriate, timely, and beneficial to just gently impose one of his lessons on Members, even on this body as a whole, if he felt it would move our country forward.

First and foremost, John Dingell has always valued good, old- fashioned trust. He sees a person's word as his bond--a bond that never shifts even in the strongest political winds. In John's playbook, loyalty, particularly loyalty to principles, is a powerful force that can move the entire country forward. He insists on one other useful attribute for success--time-tested hard work. One must put in the time to do the hard work, the homework, with great attention to the details, ensuring that every T is crossed and that every I is dotted.

These virtues exercised by my friend, whether by his hand's wielding the gavel or in his sizable arm's embracing your future in the back of the House Chamber, he has served our Nation productively. Upon this virtuous foundation, many compromises have been struck to forge stable vehicles to serve the people, their environment, their health, and their livelihoods. A champion of the American worker, of the autoworker, and of our Nation's coal miner, John Dingell fully appreciates the role that our government can and should play in supporting the breadwinners in every American family.

From the moment John Dingell came here to the moment he leaves and well beyond, these tenets are the legacy that will always burn brightly in my mind as well as warm my heart. Had I but served a single term with John Dingell, I would have counted many blessings because of it. Multiplied 29 times, suffice it to say, the entire Nation can itself count many

blessings thanks to the good work of our dear friend, John Dingell, the dean of the House of Representatives.